Malaysian defense chief to confirm report PHL Navy killed 35 'Kiram men'

 News
Apr 252013
 
Malaysian defense chief to confirm report PHL Navy killed 35 'Kiram men'

Malaysian defense minister Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin will confer with Philippine officials on a report that 35 suspected followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III were shot dead while trying to enter Sabah earlier this week. Police Inspector General Tan Sri Ismail Omar disclosed this as he reassured the public security in Lahad Datu and the situation there is under control as polling day on May 5 nears, a report by state-run Bernama news agency late Thursday said. “Asked about a report that 35 Kiram terrorists were shot dead by Philippine security forces while trying to enter Malaysian waters, Ismail said that Zulkifeli will confirm the report with his Philippine counterpart,” the Bernama report said. Zulikfeli had been quoted in a report by Malaysia’s The Star Online indicating 35 “Sulu militants” were killed while trying to enter Sabah. He claimed the incident occurred Wednesday when Philippine Navy and Coast Guard forces fired at the 35. The Philippine Navy and Coast Guard denied monitoring such an incident. Also, the report quoted him as citing intelligence reports that the group tried to enter Sabah to disrupt the May 5 polls. Meanwhile, Ismail said Ops Daulat, the offensive operation against Kiram followers that started March 5, has not yet ended. “Operation Daulat has not ended. Apart from Sabah Police, we can dispatch men from peninsula when needed,” he said. He added security forces are stationed in certain locations to prevent “terrorists” from disrupting the elections. — LBG, GMA News

PAGASA: Rain over Cagayan Valley, hot weather anew over NCR and rest of PHL

 News
Apr 252013
 
PAGASA: Rain over Cagayan Valley, hot weather anew over NCR and rest of PHL

Satellite Image as of 7 a.m. Thursday, 25 April 2013. | Weather Central Light to moderate rain may fall over Cagayan Valley due to the diffused tail-end of a cold front, while Metro Manila and other parts of the country can expect hot weather on Friday, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA forecaster Samuel Duran said the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting extreme northern Luzon while the easterlies or warm winds from the east are affecting most of the country. “[Mainit na naman sa Metro Manila] dahil umiiral pa rin ang easterlies sa halos kabuuan ng ating bansa,” Duran said in an interview on dzBB radio. Metro Manila, which experienced temperatures of as high as 36.3 degrees Celsius Thursday, may expect temperatures of 24 to 36 degrees Celsius Friday. PAGASA’s extended weather outlook indicated Metro Manila may expect temperatures of 25 to 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Tuguegarao City may experience relatively cooler weather Friday at 24 to 34 degrees Celsius, and on Saturday at 23 to 33 degrees Celsius. Angeles and Olongapo Cities may expect temperatures of 25 to 35 degrees Celsius Friday, and 25 to 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Friday outlook PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin said the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting extreme northern Luzon. “Cagayan Valley will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms,” it said. It added moderate Read More …

Fil-Am scientist, who helped find a cure for HIV baby, among TIME’s most influential people

 News
Apr 252013
 
Fil-Am scientist, who helped find a cure for HIV baby, among TIME’s most influential people

By ELTON LUGAY (TheFilAm.net) INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau 6:00 am | Friday, April 26th, 2013 Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga NEW YORK CITY—One of two Filipinos who made this year’s TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World is Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, a pediatric allergist and immunologist from the University of Massachusetts, who was part of the team that developed a cure for an HIV-positive infant. The other awardee is Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. They were among the prominent and distinguished personalities who were honored at an April 23 awards ceremony at the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle. Aquino was not present. “We consider this a great achievement,” Luzuriaga, speaking for her team, said. “We’re very honored and actually very humbled to be among the ranks of these individuals that have been chosen.” Luzuriaga, a Filipino American, has been at the forefront of pediatric HIV/AIDS research. Her bio says she has over 20 years experience in “patient-oriented research focused on mother-to-child transmission of HIV.” Later, she asked me, “Pilipino ka ba? Darating ba si presidente?” Luzuriaga, who is also a professor of pediatrics and medicine, said her team is honored “to have our work considered to Barbara Walters be of greatinfluence. To a scientist, that means a lot.” The work does not end with the TIME honor, she said. “One of the things about the finding is that it points the way to new studies that we can do and we’d like to go on and continue to make progress Read More …

Filipino consul says sorry, claims he was tired, provoked

 News
Apr 252013
 
Filipino consul says sorry, claims he was tired, provoked

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:16 am | Friday, April 26th, 2013 Jose Ampeso, the Philippine consul general to Vancouver, as shown in the video posted on YouTube: So sorry. Screen grab from www.youtube.com MANILA, Philippines—He is sorry for behaving the way he did, but said he was unjustly provoked during a very tiring day at work. Jose Ampeso, the Philippine consul general to Vancouver, apologized Thursday for any offense his videotaped rant may have caused but gave the excuse that he was provoked by a Filipino-Canadian offering “to give a measly dollar” to his mission’s fund drive for typhoon victims in the Philippines. “The video alone is not sufficient to draw any reasonable conclusions from, one way or the other. Hence, it is unfair and unjust to use it to malign my character,” said Ampeso, a career diplomat for the past three decades, serving in various overseas posts. In a statement on Thursday, Ampeso claimed the 28-second video “does not tell the whole story” about his run-in with a Filipino who was applying to renew his passport during the Vancouver mission’s passport renewal outreach program in Alberta, Canada, on April 19. Insults and ridicule Ampeso said the passport applicant “insulted me and poked fun at being requested to make a donation to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).” “That’s why I became so agitated while explaining to him that if he had to give anything at all, it has to come from the heart for the typhoon victims. It Read More …

Int’l arbitration panel ready to hear PH case against China

 News
Apr 252013
 
Int’l arbitration panel ready to hear PH case against China

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:26 am | Friday, April 26th, 2013 Judge Shunji Yanai, president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, has appointed the last three members of the panel of five international arbitrators that would hear the Philippines’ case against China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday, April 25, 2013. PHOTO FROM ITLOS.ORG MANILA, Philippines—The panel of five international arbitrators that would hear the Philippines’ case against China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) has been completed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday. DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said that Judge Shunji Yanai, president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos), had appointed the last three members of the panel. “That means the case is moving and, as expected, we are hoping that this case that we filed in the tribunal will proceed as soon as possible,” said Hernandez in a press briefing. In a letter dated April 24, Yanai informed Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, head of the Philippine legal team pursuing the case, that the panel had been completed. The newly appointed arbitrators are Judge Chris Pinto (Sri Lanka), who will serve as panel president, and Itlos judges Jean-Pierre Cot (France) and Alfred Soons (The Netherlands). In March, Yanai appointed Polish Itlos Judge Stanislaw Pawlak to join his fellow Judge Rudiger Wolfrum (Germany) in the panel. The Philippines nominated Wolfrum to the panel upon filing its Read More …

Fil-Am papers fighting for life in a digital world

 News
Apr 252013
 
Fil-Am papers fighting for life in a digital world

By Rose PaquetteINQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau 4:20 am | Friday, April 26th, 2013 SAN FRANCISCO–Publishers and operators of Filipino American newspapers in the Bay Area are struggling to cope with the technological revolution. Like their mainstream counterparts, they are barely surviving cutthroat competition from digital news media for advertising revenue. A representative of a Fil-Am paper who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Unlike before, with digital advertising today, advertisers can choose from various options.“ Filipino-owned or controlled papers currently circulating in Northern California include the Asian Journal (LA-based), Philippine News, Philippines Today, The Filam Star, Manila Mail, Balita, Pinas, The San Francisco Post, Tribune. Most are weeklies. A previous player, the Manila Bulletin USA has discontinued its circulation in the region. One paper is rumored to be bowing out of the competition soon as it continues to  “bleed” as it tries to remain afloat despite minimal advertisements. “We are not re-loading our racks anymore, “ an editor recently told Inquirer.net. Reduced circulation   An independent newspaper contractor in charge of the delivery of various papers said another publication has apparently reduced its circulation and is dropping off papers only in selected markets in the South Bay. Some publishers are ready to give up and are said to be on the lookout for buyers. Some publishers put up a brave front.  One who declined to be identified said, “We are not affected by ‘competition’–we’ve been operating for years, and as far as we’re concerned, we have loyal advertisers and our circulation Read More …

Cardinal Tagle joins calls for return of activist Jonas Burgos

 News
Apr 252013
 
Cardinal Tagle joins calls for return of activist Jonas Burgos

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on Thursday joined calls to surface political activist Jonas Burgos, who has been missing since 2007. In his homily at a Mass in Manila, Tagle warned the perpetrators that if they are afraid to face a civil court, they should be more afraid of God’s judgment. “I’m calling on those holding Jonas and many others who are being searched by their mothers, fathers and siblings, you will face God. You must face God now,” he said in his homily, excerpts of which were posted Thursday night on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. Tagle led a Mass in Manila’s Quiapo district to mark the sixth year of Burgos’ disappearance. Among those who attended the Mass were Burgos’ relatives, friends and colleagues. “Now in this gathering we continue to pray for our brother Jonas Burgos [because] we are one with his family, his mother and his friends,” the prelate said. Burgos was forcibly taken by armed men near a mall in Quezon City in broad daylight on April 28, 2007. His mother Edita still believes Jonas is alive. She welcomed Tagle’s support, which she said is a boost to their campaign against enforced disappearances and human rights abuses. “He’s really a big help because he took time out because I know how busy he is. He is a friend from the past but I know he will do everything just to be with us, the families of desaparecidos,” she said. — BM, Read More …

Comelec adds 7 provinces to 'areas of concern', assures smooth polls

 News
Apr 252013
 
Comelec adds 7 provinces to 'areas of concern', assures smooth polls

Following the Comelec’s decision to place Misamis Oriental on its list of areas of immediate concern, Comelec Commissioner Sixto Brillantes on Thursday revealed that at least six more provinces had also been put on the list. “Oo, may nadagdag,” Brillantes said in a joint press conference with the Philippine National Police and the National Telecommunications Commission in Camp Crame. He refused to reveal which provinces were being closely watched, but assured the public that police presence will be intensified in those areas. Earlier, Comelec declared 15 provinces were being monitored, similar to the list prepared by the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Brillantes revealed that the 15 areas were historically where election-related crimes have taken place. Misamis Oriental was elevated to an area of immediate concern last Tuesday following the ambush on Gingoong Mayor Ruth Guingona over the weekend. “Pag sabihin nating Masbate, Sulu, alam natin yan are always areas of concern. Dahil inambush yung Mayor [sa Gingoog] naging area of immediate concern, magpadala ka ng augmentation group,” Brillantes said., The New People’s Army has since claimed responsibility for the attack, an additional reason why the Comelec elevated it to an area of immediate concern. “NPA ito, proof of harm. Hindi ‘to away ng politiko. Inamin nila, eh,” Brillantes said. The Commissioner also reminded the media that the Comelec has abolished the use of the term “hotspots”.  This has been replace with the four degrees of areas of concerns: area of concern, area of immediate concern, area Read More …

DOLE: 400K jobs up for grabs in Labor Day job fairs nationwide

 News
Apr 252013
 
DOLE: 400K jobs up for grabs in Labor Day job fairs nationwide

At least 400,000 local and overseas jobs will be up for grabs in 75 job fairs that the Department of Labor and Employment will set up nationwide on May 1, Labor Day. According to DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, 16 of these 75 job fairs will be held in Metro Manila alone, offering up to 171,532 job vacancies. “These 171,532 job vacancies [in Metro Manila] as of today are part of the more than 400,000 vacancies to be offered by employers to tens of thousands of jobseekers expected to troop to the DOLE’s 75 job fairs nationwide,” Baldoz said Thursday. She said the job fairs in Metro Manila will have 726 prospective local employers and 37 licensed overseas recruitment agencies. The job vacancies are in identified key employment generator (KEG) sectors, including: – cyber services– tourism– banking and finance– hotel and restaurant– health and wellness– wholesale and retail trade– automotive– construction The Metro Manila job fairs will be held at SM malls in North EDSA, Fairview, Novaliches, Manila, Sta. Mesa, San Lazaro, Valenzuela, Megamall, Pasig, Marikina, South Mall, Las Piñas, Sucat, Bicutan, Muntinlupa, and Mall of Asia. Baldoz said this year’s Labor Day will have the theme, “Manggagawang Pilipino: Handa sa Hamon ng Makabagong Panahon,” which reflects the government’s confidence on the readiness of the Filipino workforce to meet the challenges of the times. What to bring She advised prospective jobseekers to bring documents to the job fairs, such as:– resume/biodata– copy of diploma– copy of transcript of records– clearances– employment Read More …

Court orders arrest of ex-AFP comptroller Ligot

 News
Apr 252013
 
Court orders arrest of ex-AFP comptroller Ligot

The Sandiganbayan First Division on Thursday has ordered the arrest of former military comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot in connection with the 11 counts of perjury charges filed against him. The Sandiganbayan also prohibited Ligot from leaving the country without clearance from the court. “After perusing the Informations and evaluating the resolution of the prosecutor, the evidence in support thereof and the records of the preliminary investigation attached thereto, it appears that sufficient grounds exist for the finding of probable cause for the purpose of issuing a warrant of arrest against the accused charged in the instant cases,” the anti-graft court said in its resolution. Ligot’s bail bond was set at P6,000 per count, or a total of P66,000. The charges, filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last April 13, were related to a forfeiture case earlier filed against Ligot, his wife Erlinda, their children Paulo, Riza, Miguel, and relatives Edgardo Yambao and Miguela Paragas for the recovery of unexplained wealth allegedly worth at least P135.28 million. Graft investigators said the former military general concealed assets by omitting them from his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for the years 1993 to 2003. Ligot, retired since 2004, served as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller from July 1999 to March 2001. He and his family were accused of amassing P135,280,822.11 in unexplained wealth, including several hectares of land in Bukidnon and Rizal, posh condominium units, houses and lots in the United States, several vehicles, and millions Read More …

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